Pages:  261-267 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp252261267

The article discusses a weapon exhibited in Azerbaijan National Museum of Art. The artefact was found accidentally in the southeast region of Azerbaijan Republic and takes its origin apparently from a ruined burial. It is the so-called axe with a stepped butt and with a shaft-hole. The weapon was made from bronze by the method of casting. Its length is 15.5 cm, height is 5 cm. The item is decorated with arched rib-lines. The axe shows signs of use. The artefact dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, within 2000—1750 BC. At the present times, no other similar items have been found on the territory of Caucasus. Its analogies can be found on the territory of the Middle East, namely in Mesopotamia (Ashur) and Iran (Luristan, Susa). The novelty of the article is that an attempt has been made to unite all known axes of this type, discovered both in archaeological sites and stored or presented in museum exhibitions. Most likely, our showpiece appeared in Azerbaijan from Luristan, where these items were more common.

Keywords: Near East, Middle Bronze Age, warfare, weapons, shaft hole axes

Information about author:

Dmitriy Kirichenko (Baku, Azerbaijan). Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor. Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. H. Cavid Ave. 115. Baku, AZ-1143, Azerbaijan
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0002-1045-4159